Ian Collins

About Ian Collins

I build operational infrastructure in places where it doesn\'t exist yet — and fix it in places where it was never built correctly to begin with.The career covers a lot of ground. Five years running a fine art gallery in Aspen, commercial real estate in Chicago, a decade building cannabis operations in Massachusetts from the ground floor. Different industries. The discipline doesn\'t change.The through-line is complexity. I\'m drawn to markets where the regulatory environment is real, relationships drive outcomes, and the operator who understands both the legal landscape and the commercial dynamics has a real edge. Cannabis in Massachusetts — one of the most regulated industries in the country, built largely from scratch — was where every system got stress-tested in live conditions. What came out of that: financial controls, legal risk frameworks, collections discipline, sales infrastructure, compliance architecture. Built under pressure. Transferable into everything since.The current chapter runs on two tracks simultaneously. On the trades side, I run operations across Grenergy Solar and Torrico Electric — a solar installer and an electrical contractor that needed its financial foundation rebuilt from the ground up. In 2025, Grenergy posted its best revenue and net income year in 19 years. Torrico\'s equity went from to +$75K. In parallel, I\'m active across cannabis in commercial roles — sales and business development for Picnic and Headie Supplies, partner in Squier\'s Specialty Elixirs, raw materials brokerage across legal markets.These aren\'t separate tracks. It\'s the same approach applied to different problems at different stages. Some companies need the infrastructure built. Some need the market opened. Some need both. I\'ve learned to tell the difference quickly and bring the right part of the toolkit to bear.Twice-elected Planning Board Chair. Rooted in the Berkshires. Building things that last.

Experience

1. Partner

   Squier S Specialty Elixirs

   Nov 2023 — Present · Portland, ME, US

   Led the Massachusetts market entry for an award-winning edible brand out of Maine — overseeing the full arc from strategy to shelf. What started as a consulting engagement became an ownership stake, which is the outcome I work toward in every engagement where the opportunity and the relationship are strong enough to warrant it. The brand is now expanding beyond Massachusetts into additional markets and into the hemp-derived space — a significant channel that opens the brand to licensed retail, wellness, and specialty locations well beyond the traditional dispensary footprint.•End-to-end Massachusetts launch: strategy, manufacturing partner selection through Temple Hill Collective, and commercial rollout•Converted consulting engagement to equity ownership

Education

• University of Vermont

  Bachelor of Arts - BA, History

  2005 — 2009